To shave my hair off? (Hair loss related)

[Trichotillomaniac]

I pull my hair out from my scalp. Have done for about 20 years now (I’m mid 30s). Apart from an 8 month period in my teens I’ve never been able to stop. It’s largely habitual but much worse when I’m stressed.

I had an intralace system for a few years which worked really well and my hair was growing back, but I had to get rid of it about 18 months ago as it was just far too expensive. Since then I’ve pulled out a large portion of the hair that had managed to grow back. It’s not as bad as it was before but it’s getting there.

I currently wear a wig when I go out. It’s itchy and uncomfortable and constantly slips back. When I’m at home I always have my hair tied up with a wide headband which covers most (but not all) of the bald patches. DH has never seen me with my hair down so he’s never seen the full extent of the damage I’ve done.

I had a baby last year, and had been hoping that after she arrived I’d be too busy/distracted to pull my hair out. This has not been the case... it’s just as bad as it was before, if not worse at times. I’m worried that she’ll end up swallowing some, I try to keep up with hoovering but it still gets on her toys, clothes etc. I also worry that eventually she’ll copy me and end up doing it herself.

My DM recently had hypnotherapy to help her stop eating chocolate. It did the trick, she hasn’t had any since, but it cost her about £100.

I’ve always been tempted to just shave my head- my theory being if I have no hair to pull out, hopefully I can break the habit. But I’ve always been too scared. But with the current CV19/lockdown situation, knowing I’m not going to be socialising any time soon it a eems like the ideal time to give it a go? My DH thinks it’s too extreme and we should try the hypnotherapy first, but I don’t want to waste money if it doesn’t work. But at the same time, I don’t know how attractive he’s going to find me when I’m totally bald- I certainly won’t want to have to wear my wig or a hat all the time at home.

So do I go for it? Or do I try the hypnotherapy first?

YABU = try hypnotherapy
YANBU = get out the clippers

I can see why you might be tempted to shave your head OP, my only worry would be that you’d start to pluck your eyebrows or eyelashes instead of your hair. I think I would give the hypnotherapy a go if I were you.

NoSauce that did occur to me, but thus far I’ve never shown any inclination to pull from there so I don’t think that would happen... course I’ve no way of knowing for certain.

Hi, I am usually a lurker but your post is so similar to me I felt I had to reply!

I also have pulled my hair out for 20 odd years and I’m mid 30s, I snap the hairs off as well as pulling some by the root. I have had extensions for years but also stopped around the time you did with the intralace, I hoped to let my hair recover and grow but I have got worse!

I also had a baby last year! I have short tufts hair on one side of my head where I have pulled, the remaining hair is long last my shoulders, I’m also having post partum hair loss, I feel like shaving it all off!

I would like to tell you, I have tried hypnotherapy and it did work but I didn’t keep it up and went back to my old ways after a while. I suggest you try a free online hypnotherapy first - I will try and find the one I used. What I am trying to do with the lockdown situation is slather my head in conditioner so I can’t get to the hair.

Thanks TempName01 if you could find the hypno you used I’d definitely give that a try.

I don’t actually put conditioner in my hair- it spends so much time plastered to my scalp that it gets quite oily anyway, although the downside of that is that the ends are fucked- I can spend hours shredding my split ends!

I think women with shaved (I presuming you don't mean with a razor, but with clippers) heads look really edgy and cool. It's really easy to bleach and dye very very short hair. Go wild, go pillar box red. Or blue. Make it a statement. Have fun.

I had a grade 2 cut for most of my 20s, Chelsea cut with grade 3 and fringe for my 40s. Only reason I don't have it at present is I'm a teacher now. Boo to dress code!

shredding the split ends for me started this habit, it is so addictive! My hair is the worst it has ever been as I used to limit the pulling from underneath but have lately been doing the top and crown where hairs feel split or coarse, I just can’t stand to have them on my head! Have you tried wearing gloves?

I have trich and shaving my hair almost completely stopped it. It was a tremendous relief. I don't have anxiety problems it's just a TERRIBLE unstoppable habit. I also scratch my ears and bite my nails...

When I grew my hair again it came back. I'd rather just have it shaved all the time but I got so tired of everyone's constant commentary (I didn't tell them why I do it of course) and assumptions about my personality (even positive ones about being edgy and cool) that I grew it back recently. My trich is pretty rampant atm.

This is the video I have used but there are probably better ones now if you google. I did actually visit hypnotherapists in person but the YouTube videos should be helpful, you can just listen to the audio each night while in bed and drift off to sleep.

I think you would benefit far more from counselling than hypnotherapy..

Counselling may help for the anxiety but the actual habit for me is deep in my subconscious which hypnotherapy does work for.

Try EFT, emotional freedom technique? I hope it can help you

I have tried counselling several times. Made no difference whatsoever unfortch.